Title: Mythical Manipulation

Author: Mairi Nathaira

Rating: R

Category: Post-War, First Time, Humour, Romance, Cross-gen

Notes: Written for the 2010 Teddy Fest. Korean mythology and European mythological creatures are loosely borrowed and used in this story. Many thanks to Ayla Pascal, Luvscharlie, and Songquake for listening to my ranting on this fic! Also, many thanks to Ayla Pascal for the beta!

Summary: One night, Draco baby-sits for Teddy and tells him a tale he's made up on the spot. Eleven years later, to Draco's dismay, Teddy makes the tale come true.

Pairing: Teddy Lupin/Draco Malfoy

Warnings: Slash, Cross-gen (35/18)

Dedications: None

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to Warner Brothers and the wonderful JK Rowling. I do not own them, despite the fact I wish I could own SS, RL, and SB. The only thing that belongs to me is the story itself.

Feedback: All comments and criticisms are welcomed there. If it's flame then don't bother for I will put them in my trashcan or blog about it and laugh at you.

There is only one admirable form of the imagination: the imagination that is so intense that it creates a new reality, that it makes things happen. — Sean O'Faolain

"But I don't want to go to bed! I'm not tired!"

Draco let out an exasperated sigh and stared up at the ceiling and muttered, "Salazar, give me strength!" He turned towards the very stubborn seven-year-old, who was scowling and pouting at the same time, and he found it hard to believe that this pink-haired spawn was his first cousin once removed. Then again, it was rare Draco had to resort to calling Teddy a "spawn". As an easy-going youngster, Teddy was an example of a child Draco could tolerate. Creative, kind, polite, and intelligent compared to his peers, Draco had grown fond of him in the last few years.

It was with this fondness, he grudgingly would baby-sit for Teddy. Sometimes Scarhead would watch over his godson, but ever since Andromeda Tonks and Narcissa Malfoy renewed their relationship, the two families had become closer after the war, so the baby-sitting job was more or less given to Draco.

At first, he'd been horrified by the request — no, an order — from his mother. Having grown up as an only child, he'd never had to deal with younger siblings, so his exposure to children was very low. He'd never forget his first baby-sitting experience. Teddy had just turned two, was still in nappies, and wasn't great with talking yet. That meant Teddy was in the dreaded "Terrible Two" stage, and Draco endured the longest night of his life.

He'd hoped that the house elves would be able to help him, but his mother had forbidden elves to assist him. Distraught and nervous, he arrived at his aunt's house to find a screaming toddler — a cranky toddler who'd missed his nap earlier — and it was up to Draco to calm Teddy down.

With his red hair and red, teary face, Teddy had looked more like a strawberry, and Draco spent the night cajoling Teddy to stop crying.

"Come on," Draco had urged. "Do you want to colour? Play with a stuffed Crup? Want sweets?"

Teddy had remained uncooperative. "No! No wanna! No! No! No!" He'd cried when Draco had to feed him. He'd cried when Draco had to change him. He'd cried when Draco had tried to sing thirty renditions of "Weasley is Our King".

Stumped and at the end of his limited patience, Draco had sunk in the sofa, exhaustion washing over him. He couldn't believe this was the "angelic boy" he'd heard about from his mother. And he really couldn't believe Teddy was denying sweets, something he thought all children liked! Finally, figuring it wouldn't hurt and with nobody around to witness what he was about to do, he had brought his hands up to his mouth, grabbed the sides of his mouth, crossed his eyes, and stuck his tongue out while saying, "Blehblehblehblehblaaaah."

Teddy had stopped and stared at him. Draco had felt a flare of hope, and he had done it again, making even stranger noises and even funnier faces. Teddy's wide-eyed stare had turned crinkly, and he'd let out a squeal of delight. "Again!"

Amazed that this was what it took to stop a crying child, Draco had complied, and things finally had turned better for him as rest of the night passed with no problems.

Since then, Teddy adored Draco as a baby-sitter.

And Draco didn't mind it. Now, he actually looked forward to entertaining Teddy.

But tonight was an unusual night; Draco was ready to hex something since he needed to get Teddy to sleep before his aunt came back, and he was certain his aunt would not like Teddy being drugged by a potion! He didn't like that idea either, but the idea was very tempting.

Frowning, Draco threw out ideas. "Want to listen to music? Want to draw for a bit? Want to watch that loud contraption, the 'Tell Lee'?"

"No, no, no."

This was all starting to sound very familiar. Draco wondered if he should make faces like he did before, but he highly doubted it would work again. That sort of thing usually only worked once. Throwing his hands up in the air, he said, "Do you want me to tell you a story or something?"

Teddy perked at the idea and jumped up at that. "Yeah! Can it be a homemade one? With animals! And don't make wolves bad!" He pouted. "I'm tired of stories with bad wolves!"

Draco blinked, and then he remembered those Muggle stories he'd read together with Teddy before. Something about a Red Rider meeting a wolf with a taste for the elderly and these three pigs that met a wolf who enjoyed huffing and puffing. Teddy hadn't enjoyed those, and he'd kept asking why the wolves are portrayed as a negative character. Smiling, he said, "I promise I won't make the wolf bad in this story. But first, let's wash you up and change into your pyjamas. While you do that, I'll be thinking up a story."

"Okay!" Teddy rushed off, and Draco breathed out in relief. Finally, he could get the little tyke into bed! However, he needed to quickly conjure up a good story, one with a good wolf and other animals. His mind went all over the place as he tried to make a good story from Teddy's request, but his tired brain refused to work with him. Frantically, he thought of mythologies and legends he'd read as a child. He'd read so many of them before, some Old English ones, Germanic ones, Norse, Greek, and even Asian ones.

Just as he reached Teddy's room, he finally came up with a workable tale. It wasn't exactly fleshed out fully, but he'd add onto the story as he told it. Smugly, he remembered his acting days from his third year and his prideful moment as a songwriter in his fifth year. Despite what Pansy had said before, he did have a creative mind, and he would put it to good use once more.

Settling comfortably next to Teddy on the huge bed, he leaned against the headrest, covered Teddy up with a blanket, and put his arm around him. "You ready?"

Nodding eagerly, Teddy squirmed and gave one of his bright smiles. "Ready!"

Draco took a deep breath and opened his mouth to start. He'd almost started the story with "once upon a time", and he mentally winced. He hated that opening. It sounded too fairy tale-ish and sappy! He caught himself just in time, and he continued with, "Long ago, back when there were many magical creatures still on the Isle, there was a young dragon and a young panther, and they'd become friends. The dragon, a Common Welsh Green named Nye, was sort of an outcast amongst his clan. He was quieter and gentler compared to his peers. He befriended a panther named Calais, who'd come from Greece where he'd been banished by his own clan there. Two magicians, Dionysus and Artemis, decided to let him come to the Isle, and with magic, they transported him here. You see, Calais — like Nye — was a very unique panther."

Teddy nodded, urging Draco to continue, his eyes large and full of curiosity. "Why?"

"Do you know what a panther is?"

"A big cat. Like a lion? Cheetah?"

"You see a panther is a magical creature who looks like a big cat, but it has multi-coloured fur. Another thing about panthers is that they like to sleep in a cave after a big meal, and for three days and nights, they sleep. On the fourth day, they wake up and let out a mighty roar." Draco roared loudly, causing Teddy to giggle. "While they roar, they let off a sweet-smelling scent that causes other creatures to come to their cave where it eats them. However, there is one creature that is not affected by the panther's roar."

"The dragon?" Teddy guessed.

"Yes. They are immune to it. Still, though, Calais had a problem. You see, he was a multi-coloured panther, but whenever he roared, his colours changed."

"Like my hair?" Teddy asked in hushed tones. "Like my Metamorphmagus skill?"

"Yes, you could say he was a Metamorphmagus panther, but unfortunately for Calais, the other panthers were jealous and resentful of that skill. That was why he was banished. Anyway, one day Nye heard Calais' roar, but he didn't go to the cave because Calais' lure didn't work on him, but Nye kept hearing it periodically, and that made him curious. He one day ran into Calais, and the two of them had a horrible fight, both fighting for dominance, both scared and frightened of each other. Calais roared while Nye breathed out his own harmonic roar with his fiery breath. This went on for a while until they both tired themselves out."

Draco paused, and Teddy said, "What happens next?"

"They talked to each other. You see, they each respected each other's abilities, and that was when they realised how much they had in common despite being two different creatures. Their feelings of loneliness and social ostracism — feeling like they didn't belong in their clan — bonded them in ways that would have never happened otherwise. They became great friends, and they even started to hunt together because they didn't have to hunt the same food, so they helped each other.

"But for these two, it wasn't enough. They could still see that they were different. One a dragon and one a panther, they weren't satisfied."

"Draco? Is this a love story?"

"And then — what?" Draco looked at the solemn expression on Teddy's face. "Not . . . not really. No! It's not! Now, let me get to the interesting part! Back then on the Isle, the creatures had a ruler. Not like a king or a queen, but more like someone who made sure nothing went wrong with the harmony between all the animal clans. He'd oversee everything, but he'd rarely interfere with the clans. He was the Wolf-King named Gwydion. He was cunning and he was able to do magic. In a sense, you could say he was the animal version of Merlin, but there was no King Arthur or any of his bungling knights. Somehow news of their unusual friendship reached him, and he visited Calais and Nye one day. Intrigued, he listened to their troubles, and he came up with a plan quickly when they finished their tale.

"It was to test whether they really wanted to do this or not. Gwydion's plan was for them to stay in a cave for one-hundred days. For those one-hundred days, they could not leave the cave, and the only things they had to eat were some mugwort and twenty cloves of garlic."

"That's it?" Teddy wrinkled his nose. "Why yucky food?"

"That was all part of their test," Draco explained, though he secretly agreed with Teddy on how the food did sound yucky. "Once they staved off their hunger and stayed in the cave for one-hundred days, they'd both be turned into a new species. That was Gwydion's offer and plan, and both Calais and Nye took it. For the next one-hundred days, they both endured their hunger and the meagre and unappetising food. The cave they were in was very, very deep in the mountain, so they didn't know if it was day or night, rain or shine, or hot or cold. They both tried to come up with ways to distract themselves. They'd talk about their younger days. They'd talk about what they'd planned to do when this was all over.

"Slowly, but surely, the days passed, and when it was finally the hundredth day, Gwydion appeared in their cave. Unbeknownst to them, Gwydion was very surprised to see that they both didn't quit in their quest. He had predicted they wouldn't have lasted through this test, but they did, and he kept his promise. There, he turned them into the first wizards of the Isle. Nye turned into a handsome blond man with a strong body, which had come in handy when he had to deal with taming the dragons later. Calais then became the world's first Metamorphmagus."

"Like me!" Teddy's loud voice nearly made him go deaf.

"Yes, like you. But now they were wizards, they were the same species, and they were both happy to leave their past and focus on their future. And they were the ones who started up the wizarding world."

"Wow. So . . . they did all this together. That's brilliant . . . "

A yawn overtook Teddy, and that prompted Draco to say, "I'm getting tired."

"Me too." Teddy wriggled into a lying position, and Draco helped tuck him in. "That was a great story. Can you tell it again? A lot?"

Draco chuckled. "Sure. Not every day, but I will tell you it again."

"You lied, Draco."

"I did?" Draco's eyebrows disappeared under his fringe. "How?"

"You said this wasn't a love story. But it is! Two men can be lovers. My friend Tommy told me. But that's what happened with Calais and Nye, and I hope it happens to me and you, too! I'm a Metamorphmagus like Calais, and your name means 'dragon', you got blond hair, so that means you're Nye!"

Draco nearly spluttered unattractively, but he just held in his tongue and nodded, deciding to humour him.

"So when I grow up, I'm gonna learn how to be pa — pashient. I'm gonna eat a lot of mugthing and garlic, even if it's yucky. And I'm gonna marry you. Okay?" A happy smile came onto Teddy's sleepy face. Teddy's eyes closed as he said, "It's my promise. I'm gonna be like Calais . . . . "

Silently, Draco smoothed Teddy's turquoise — his happy colour — fringe, and he left, going down to the sitting room. There, he mulled over Teddy's interesting and unique interpretation of the tale. He hadn't expected Teddy to come up with anything dealing with homosexual relationships. And he definitely hadn't expected the marriage proposal. A proposal he knew that would never be fulfilled since they were cousins, they were both male, and how could he forget the age difference? Not that it mattered since wizards live much longer than those Muggles, but Draco knew it was impossible.

Teddy was just saying stuff a child would say, and when Teddy was grown up, he'd find a nice witch — or a wizard if he did end up being gay — and he'd forget all about his marriage proposal. Draco was positive about this.

Four years later, on September 1, Draco accompanied Teddy, Andromeda, and — unfortunately — Harry Potter to Platform 9 and 3/4. All of them were there to see Teddy off to Hogwarts, and Draco could see that Teddy was excited and nervous.

"What if the Sorting Hat doesn't put me anywhere? What if the classes are too hard? What if I get locked in a secret room for years and nobody finds me? What if nobody likes me because I'm a Metamorphmagus?" Draco blinked at the barrage of questions Teddy had thrown out. He was surprised that Teddy was so nervous when he'd been looking forward to it all summer.

The three adults all looked at each other over Teddy's head. Harry was the one who said, "It will be all right. At least you know all the secrets I've told you about Hogwarts! I went there with no knowledge beforehand, so you'll be in a much better position than me. And you have the Marauder's Map." Draco snorted, and Harry gave him a dirty look before saying, "So you can use that to help you."

"That's right," Andromeda said, "you'll be fine. And the hat will sort you; it always does. You're a smart boy, so your marks will be excellent."

"And," Draco added, "people will like you. If they don't like you for your Metamorphmagus skills, then they aren't worth your time."

When Andromeda and Harry stepped off to the side to say hello to a few people they saw, Teddy smiled shyly at Draco. "I'll be like Calais, right? I'll find a friend like Nye?"

Draco bit back a groan. He couldn't believe Teddy still loved that story. "Yes, I'm sure you will find a friend like Nye."

"Brilliant! I hope I do." But then a sly look came on Teddy's face. "But in the end you will be my Nye."

"Teddy," Draco said, raising an eyebrow.

But Teddy interrupted him. "I'm just kidding."

Draco knew Teddy better than that, though. He knew that tone of voice. It was what Draco dubbed as Teddy's ambitious voice, and Teddy usually ended up getting what he wanted, especially when the little bugger plotted and schemed to achieve his end. Again, all he hoped was for Teddy to outgrow that foolish idea and acted like a Slytherin in other endeavours. Years ago, Draco would have never guessed Teddy to be a Slytherin, considering his parents, but with him growing up with three Slytherins in his life, it made sense for Teddy to be influenced by them — despite being around one very prominent Gryffindor who Draco couldn't seem to get rid of.

Sighing, Draco said, "Just do your best and be happy, okay?"

"I will, Draco." Teddy hugged him, and Draco hugged him back.

"Owl me whenever you want."

Teddy nodded against Draco's chest, and it was time for the former to say goodbye to the others.

The next morning, Teddy's owl attacked Draco. Cursing his head off at the damned bird, he soon forgot about his annoyance as he read Teddy's short message.

I'm in Slytherin! Just like you, Grandmamma, and Auntie Narcissa!

Feeling a burst of pride going through him, Draco quickly wrote a quick note to congratulate him before he headed to work.

Now, with this new chapter of Teddy's life, he just hoped Teddy would forget that ridiculous marriage proposal.

"Your grandmother tells me you're doing well in all your classes except for Potions," Draco said neutrally. "Why's that? Do you need help?"

It was after Christmas, and Draco found himself visiting his aunt's place. Draco was actually glad for the company. With his parents holidaying in France, Draco was happy to escape the huge manor, where he only had the house elves and his father's prancing and preening peacocks to keep him company. Andromeda was busy cooking, and Draco and Teddy were playing a round of chess.

Teddy wrinkled his nose at Draco's question. "I understand it. Really, I do! But . . . it's . . . the smell is too nasty."

"I beg your pardon?" Draco stared at Teddy as if he'd grown three heads. "The smell?"

"I can't stand them! The smell bothers me."

"Oh." Draco remembered Teddy's powerful sense of smell. It had been passed onto Teddy as a side-effect of Remus Lupin's curse; Draco was glad that Teddy didn't get any of the other aspects of the curse. Though, from what he knew about wizarding genetics, he wasn't quite sure why the sense of smell got passed onto him. He figured the curse mutated Remus' genes or something.

"But I'll do better. I want to do better. I just need to figure out a way to block the smell."

"You will," Draco reassured, but inwardly, he wasn't sure how Teddy would solve it. But he wasn't here to really muse on Teddy's keen nose. He was here to tell Teddy something important. Something he'd just found out recently. "Teddy? I've got some news for you."

"What?"

"I've been accepted by this potions mastery programme."

Teddy grinned. "That's great! You've wanted it for a while, right?"

"Yes, I have . . . " Draco trailed off, feeling guilty with the next bit of news. He really didn't want to crush Teddy's happiness, but he had to tell him. "But . . . it requires me to be away for a long time."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Teddy's large eyes widened and his hair went from turquoise to a dull shade of brown.

Draco awkwardly ran his hand through his hair. "It will be an overseas programme. And it's long. About four or five years. That means I'll not be on the Isle for the duration of my programme and even longer, especially if I open up that potion business I've been wanting, but with the Ministry's regulations . . . I'll have to start it in a foreign country, build up a good credibility, and then start another branch in England."

Teddy's lips turned more and more downward as he pouted. "That long? Does it have to be that long? I'm gonna be out of Hogwarts by the time you're back! This . . . I don't want you to go!" The chess game now forgotten, Teddy stood up quickly, ignoring the fallen pieces, and he gave Draco a sad look. "Can't you just find another programme in England?"

Quietly, Draco said, "There are no other programmes that will accept me."

"I hate those Ministry prats!"

"Teddy!" Draco's own voice was just as sharp as Teddy's. He was also surprised. Teddy usually did not talk ill of anyone.

"I do! They're still punishing you and Auntie Narcissa and Uncle Lucius! I hate that! It isn't fair!"

Draco nearly chuckled at Teddy's petulant attitude. As mature as Teddy could be at times, it was moments like these that reminded him that Teddy was still a child. "Teddy, it's okay. I don't mind, really." Well, he did, but he wasn't about to admit that! "Besides, this will give me an excuse to go see the rest of the world and learn all its fine arts of potions making. It isn't forever, and I will send you stuff through the International Owl Post."

"Don't bribe me. I'm not a little boy anymore." But his scowl slowly disappeared, and it was replaced with a contemplative expression.

Now, Draco turned wary at that look. He'd seen enough of those over the years to know that Teddy was scheming something. "What are you plotting now?"

"Nothing. You're right. This is a good chance for you. I shouldn't have acted the way I did. Sorry."

That threw Draco off for a loop, though the actual words weren't what did him in. Instead, it was the calm way Teddy had delivered his statement, his face looking tranquil. He had expected Teddy to be upset, yes, but he hadn't counted on Teddy to accept this . . . quickly.

And Draco didn't find out the reasoning for all of this until many years later.

Still, at the moment, he accepted Teddy's change of mood — after all, Teddy was in that pre-puberty stage, so he was bound to have mood swings here and there — and he said, "It's okay. We'll keep in touch, all right?"

"All right," Teddy said, his hair turning back to turquoise, and he reached down to pick up the chess pieces. "New game? I'm gonna beat you this time."

"Sure. When Weasley actually gets a brain."

"Which Weasley?"

"All of them. With the exception of King Weasley's wife," Draco added grudgingly. And the two of them laughed as they resumed their game before Andromeda called them over for supper.

But in the end, they didn't keep in touch.

Draco's programme demanded more from him, and he did more travelling than he'd expected. Not to mention, some of his adventures were quite dangerous, and Draco couldn't help but curse at those responsible for creating the programme. With some reckless tasks, some quite hare-brained and ridiculous, he wondered if a Gryffindor was the one who came up with the planning. Really, Draco's idea of fun did not include the following: hunting down a magical snake the size of an anaconda for its venom — and what a grumpy and huge snake that was; suffering from the freezing weather — one that no warming charm could help — in Nunavut to visit a group of Inuits to learn their potions brewing . . . which just had to take place outside their slightly warmer homes; riding a camel through the burning inferno known as the Sahara Desert to look for a Potions master who took residence in the world's most unplottable place — because the bugger was too damn paranoid and insane to live near a civilised area; hiking for a week over the Alps to look for a plant they needed for an ingredient . . . only to be told it was in the sodding Black Forest; climbing another bloody mountain — this time in the Himalayas — to find yet another Potions master who was a recluse; and scuba diving in Australia to obtain some underwater plants as ingredients.

He enjoyed the last one, especially seeing the coral reefs — though he didn't quite enjoy the ideas of sharks and poisonous jellyfishes lingering around in the ocean with him — but the rest were quite questionable on their fun factor. Then again, he really shouldn't complain so much. He should be satisfied they hadn't sent him to Antarctica. What would he do there? Observe the penguins to see if they really walk and waddle like some stiff butler and freeze his own arse off?

After doing plenty of continents hopping, Draco finally settled himself down in Japan. Tokyo to be more specific. He spent the last year of his mastery programme to study about Japanese potions making, especially the older techniques from the Edo era, which was becoming a lost art, so Draco was pleased to learn something he can pass down to future generations if he were ever given the chance.

When he finally finished his programme, he started up his potion business, and he buried himself into his newest project. When he wasn't brewing stuff for the business, he was busy managing and financing the place. Draco simply didn't have much time to keep in contact with his family back on the Isle, though he did manage to send letters back home, and he did send some souvenirs back for Teddy, but otherwise, he wasn't able to visit once.

Luckily, though, his business succeeded without much hassles. Sure, he had to deal with stupid customers here and there, but the end result was clear — he'd succeeded.

"Finally," he said, going to a rare party with his co-workers, sipping on sake or beer and eating yakiniku, a favourite of his. Taking a bite of the grilled meat, he continued, "I can go back home."

"You sound happy," Chikao said.

Draco smiled slightly at his business partner. Yamamoto Chikao was his first friend in Japan, and they occasionally had kept each other company in bed, but they were just good friends, and Draco knew their relationship would never progress from that. "Yeah. It's been years . . . I'll bet so many things have changed."

"Good luck over there. I'll come visit you after you get settled." Chikao reached out and covered Draco's hand with his. "And yes, things will have changed. I'm sure you will be in for a pleasant surprise."

"You better visit. I did promise you a tour of London." Draco grabbed his mug of beer and raised it. "Cheers."

Chikao's brown eyes, usually vibrant with happiness, looked sad. But he still smiled and picked his own drink up. "Kanpai. Or as you English would say, cheers! Let's drink to your success here and more success waiting for you in England."

"Thanks, Chikao." Draco drank the rest of his beer and then looked around. He had so many friends and acquaintances here. He was definitely going to miss them.

Draco was definitely in for a pleasant surprise. Apparently, while he was gone, Hermione Granger-Weasley along with Minister Shacklebolt and Harry Potter, managed to tone down the harsh regulations against "former Death Eaters" like him. Meaning, when he did all his paperwork for his business, he didn't meet much opposition like he'd expected several years ago. He'd been expecting much bureaucratic bullshit to slow him down, and while he was slowed down, he'd planned to meet and enjoy some time with his friends and families. However that idea was shot down as he found himself in a whirlwind of activities as the days passed by him.

He had to oversee the renovation process of his business location, making sure all the proper supplies were purchased and funded for. As that went on, he established business contracts with other businesses he'd want to deal with in the future. One of them was with Neville Longbottom's herbology business, and he was pleased he signed the contract with the best herbologist on the Isle.

Even Neville seemed eager for their contract

"Any time you need a specific plant, I'll be sure you get them," Neville had said cheerfully.

Surprised by the lack of hostility, Draco had nodded slowly. "Er, thank you, Mr Longbottom."

"Neville. And with your permission, may I call you Draco?"

"Yes . . . Neville, you may call me that." With a final handshake, Draco had left feeling quite flabbergasted. Neville's pleasantries were quite unexpected.

But Draco found more surprises during his quest to find a general manager for his own business. Even though he was the owner, he still wanted a manager to help him run the business, and he ended up interviewing quite a few people — some who were questionable at best, and some who nearly choked Draco by the strength of their horrible perfume or cologne. In the end, he found himself choosing Luna Lovegood of all people. Surprisingly enough, he found Luna to be quite intelligent, and she was actually pretty "normal" compared to the other people he'd met. Sure, she talked about the strangest things at random times, but after dealing with eccentric characters in Japan and all over the world, he could tolerate Luna. Besides, he was impressed by her organisational skills and by her knowledge in potions, herbology, and magical creatures.

It wasn't long before his business was up and running, and he found out quickly that having Luna around was a definite asset. She had a way with the workers, as Draco found out.

"Hello, Draco!" Luna waved a fat folder in Draco's face. "Here are the reports you've requested."

"Thank you." Draco paused as he took the folder. "I saw Mr Nottingham with a dazed expression just a while ago. Did you talk to him about how he has to always double-check the numbers before submitting them into the reports?"

"Oh, yes, I did. I told him that, and then we had a lovely conversation for the next three hours on how it's important to hunt down Nargles every morning because it'll revitalise you for a brand new day!"

Draco blinked. "Three hours?"

"It was wonderful. I can't wait to have another conversation with him again."

And that was Luna's effective management skills. Whenever an employee made a mistake or did something problematic, Luna would take care of the situation. She was never intimidating, and she was never rude or nasty, but the employees quickly learned that it was better to do their jobs efficiently instead of poorly. The idea of being subjected to three or more hours of discussing Luna's topic of the day was a good punishment.

Draco shuddered. It was a punishment he never wanted to suffer himself.

"Draco?" Luna walked into his spacious office. She eyed the blank walls. "You really need to put some colour in here. All this white space . . . it's not healthy for you. Nargles like colourful places, so you really should make it more inviting for them."

Setting his quill down, Draco gave Luna a look. "I'm sure you didn't come here to give me yet another lecture about my office, did you? I'll get arou–"

"Actually, this will be a perfect project to give to the new intern!"

"Intern? What intern?"

Taking a seat on the drab looking chair in front of Draco's desk, Luna gave him a bright-eyed, eager stare. "That's what I came to ask you about. I was wondering if we could have an intern or two here. It will be beneficial to your business and to the interns, of course."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "But we're still a new business. Do we really need interns right now?"

"Why not? We could try a trial-run, and if it works, we could implement this as a regular business project."

"Well, you're right. We could try it and see if it works," Draco admitted. "Okay, Luna, you have my permission."

Luna beamed. "Thank you, Draco! And I already have a list of candidates here! You want to hear some of their names?"

"As long as–" Just then, an owl from the International Owl Post came flying in, and he could see Chikao's familiar handwriting on the attached letter. Quickly, he opened and read the letter, and as his eyes scanned the words, he continued, "I'll have to go to Japan for a few days. Apparently there's some financial incident I have to check out." Draco smiled tightly. "As for your intern selection, I trust your judgement. Just don't choose someone destructive and dangerous like a Weasley."

Smiling, Luna said, "All right. Hope you settle the problem in Japan."

As she left the room, Draco began to grab all the necessary files he needed to take with him to Japan, and he never once noticed the almost calculating and scheming look on her serene face.

As soon as Draco got back from Japan, he went straight to his business. The trip had been stressful, but the financial problems he'd had to deal with were finally settled. There was nothing more he wanted than to just stay in the manor and enjoy a nice long bath and some good alcohol, but he had a business to run, and he couldn't really neglect his responsibilities. Grudgingly, he trudged into his office, ready to drop dead in his chair, but he stopped and stared at the huge, moving dragon that greeted him.

Thankfully, it wasn't a real dragon, but the life-like moving painting of it on his wall behind his desk nearly made him shout with fear at first. The bloody mural actually glared at him, and Draco glared back. He wasn't about to let a mere painting try to take command over him! He looked closely, and that was when he realised the dragon was a Common Welsh. He blinked and noticed the other changes to his office. The walls were no longer white. The walls were painted in the deepest shade of forest green, and its borders were trimmed in silver. Slowly he spun around, and he saw the different curtains on his windows, the plush new furniture that replaced the boring looking ones he had before, and even the carpet had changed from an old, dim grey one to a lush, fluffy cream-coloured carpet.

But it was the wall opposite from his desk that caught his eyes. It was yet another mural. A mural of a panther. It had multi-coloured fur, and it, too, was animated like the dragon. Only problem was, its fur changed colours, and it blinded him horribly like those awful disco lights he'd seen in a club once in Tokyo.

A dragon? A panther? Who . . . who had decorated his office? He felt like he should know the answer, know the significance of all this. A faint niggling was bugging him in the back of his head, but he was too tired to grasp that concept and concentrate on it. Not to mention, he'd only been at work for three minutes, and he already had a blinding headache.

A loud knock irritated his throbbing head more. "Come in," Draco gritted out.

Luna entered with a cheerful smile. "Welcome back! How was Japan? Do you like your office?"

Draco sat down in one of his new chairs in front of his desks, and he glared at her. "Did you decorate my office?"

"That's not a greeting. Don't be so rude by answering a question with a question. But to answer your question, no, I did not decorate it. I haven't had the time. I told you I was going to get one of the interns to do it, and one volunteered happily to do so! Isn't it lovely?"

Lovely? Draco wasn't quite sure if he'd call his new office lovely, but it certainly wasn't bad or anything. Just not exactly conventional. "I see. An intern. And who might this intern be?"

Luna nodded towards the open door. "You can meet him now."

Despite his headache, Draco jumped out of his chair in surprise when Teddy walked inside. He immediately knew it was Teddy; he didn't know anybody else with turquoise hair, and even though it'd been a long time since they'd seen each other, Draco still recognised that quirky smile and that single dimple in his cheeks. What he didn't recognise, though, was Teddy's height and build. Last time he saw Teddy, the latter had only come up to his shoulders and had been quite skinny and gawky. Now, Teddy was taller than him by a couple of inches, and he was definitely well-built. The broad shoulders, the strong-looking arms . . . did Teddy really grow up into this handsome man?

Then there was the voice. It was deep, much deeper than he remembered Teddy from before, and it washed over him, sending shivers down his back. "It's been a while, Draco," Teddy said lazily, giving a smile that nearly turned Draco into a puddle of Draco-goo.

"I, er, yes." Draco quickly composed himself, or at least he tried. He nearly lost his composure once more when Teddy had stride over and practically launched himself into a crushing a hug. A hug that allowed him to smell Teddy's subtle cologne. It had a woodsy scent, and it left him feeling quite dizzy. He felt a tell-tale stirring in his groin, and his mind went blank as he wondered just why Teddy was causing him to react like this.

"I've missed you so much, Draco," said that wonderful, deep voice.

Draco looked over Teddy's shoulder, and he saw that Luna had already left, the door to his office closed. "So did I." And he did. He had missed Teddy over the years, and he was sorry he hadn't been in contact much.

Teddy let go of Draco with a smile. He gestured to the walls. "Do you like them?"

"Well . . . I should have guessed it was you! I can't believe you still remember that story even until now."

"I could never forget that story. It really did make a big impact on my life." Something about the way Teddy said that gave Draco some strange ideas. Ideas he really didn't want to think about.

He decided to change the subject. Moving over to an armchair, he sat in it, indicating Teddy to have a seat, too. After Teddy sat, Draco continued, "I'm surprised you took the internship here. Did you get over your problems with Potions?"

Teddy nodded eagerly. "I was doing terrible in that class. But I finally figured out a way to survive it. I discovered that if I use a clothes peg on my nose, my sense of smell is blocked!"

Draco stared. "A clothes peg?"

Teddy nodded.

"That sounds . . . " He couldn't help but wince at that image. His own nose felt sore hearing that. "Painful."

"I figured out an excellent numbing spell that works. I use that and then put the clothes peg on my nose. And before you ask, I tried the scent blocking spell on my nose. It didn't quite work, but this works better!"

Draco had to admit it was a rather interesting method. "Whatever works."

Teddy glanced at his wrist to see the time. "I have to get back to work in a bit, but we should have dinner one day. Just you and me. I want to hear about your travels."

Something about the way Teddy said "just you and me" made Draco feel a bit excited and apprehensive. He remembered Teddy's interpretation of that story years ago. Did Teddy still believe in that interpretation? That was only something a child would come up with, right? Surely, the adult Teddy wouldn't still cling to that. Draco shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "Sure. Dinner would be nice." He'd act neutral. He would do nothing to encourage that silly idea, in case Teddy still believed in it.

"Great!" Teddy smile was contagious, and Draco found himself smiling, too. "I better go do what I need to do. I love Luna, but I am not in the mood for her lectures."

"Those can be quite educational, at least," Draco said.

"Sure, but not for five hours! The other intern who signed up with me had to endure that."

"I guess she upgraded . . . it used to be three."

"Pity for all of us!" Teddy gave one last grin, and he left.

Draco, alone in his newly decorated office, laughed, too, albeit uneasily. He felt like something about all of this would go down the route he didn't want it to go through. Sure, he couldn't deny Teddy's hot body and that even sexier voice, but this was a road he did not want to trespass. Teddy was family, his "little" cousin he used to baby-sit! And although the age differences between them wouldn't matter since magical folks like them have a much longer lifespan, Draco didn't want to ruin any familial relationship he had with Teddy or even his aunt Andromeda!

Groaning, Draco let his face fall to his hands. He better make sure that whenever they had that dinner, it wouldn't be just the two of them alone!

"I've been told you're doing great with your internship," Draco complimented casually one day, when he passed by Teddy in the corridors.

"Thanks, Draco!" Teddy said, beaming. "When are we going to do that dinner?"

The close proximity to Teddy made his stomach feel funny. Then again, Teddy looked good as usual, and with his shirt's sleeves rolled up, he could see Teddy's arm quite nicely, and guys with nice arms were one of Draco's weaknesses. He averted his gaze to Teddy's face — which was a bad idea because that dimple, that smile, and that strong jaw line made him want to touch Teddy in ways that were definitely not friendly or platonic.

Remembering Teddy's question, Draco said, "Dinner?" He pretended to act obtuse. "Oh, well, Aunt Andromeda invited me tonight, so we'll do dinner then."

"But I thought we'd do dinner just you and me one of these days."

"Well, I–"

"Oh, there you are, Draco!" For once Draco was glad that Luna's tendency to interrupt whenever inappropriate was actually appropriate for once. "I need you to look at these reports! I need you to do it now!"

Trying not to sigh in relief, he nodded. "All right. Let's go to my office." He glanced at Teddy. "I'll see you tonight, all right?"

"All right."

Walking away, he never saw the calculating look in Teddy's eyes.

Chikao made a surprise visit to London, and Draco was thrilled to have his close friend here. After meeting Chikao for lunch, Draco suggested they relax at his office for a while, and it was there, Teddy met Chikao for the first time.

"Oh! Teddy. You need something?" Draco was surprised Teddy came to visit now. Normally, Teddy didn't really visit until closing time.

"I didn't realise you had a guest," Teddy said in a rather low voice, which made Draco frown in confusion.

"Oh. This is Chikao Yamamoto. He was my friend and business partner in Japan. He's here for a brief visit."

Chikao stood up to greet Teddy with a smile. "You must be his cousin. Draco talked about you a lot when he was in Japan. He extended a hand, and Teddy reached out to grab it briefly.

"Nice to meet you." Draco heard the slight edge to Teddy's normally easy-going voice. Before he could ask if something was wrong, Teddy thrust out a parchment. "I'm doing this handwriting analysis thing for a friend. Can I ask you and Mr Yamamoto to sign this parchment?"

Draco blinked. "Sure."

"Mr Yamamoto? Please sign on this part." And when Chikao finished signing the paper with his name, Teddy gave the parchment to Draco. "And Draco? Sign here."

Draco eyed the only space that was available. The middle. He wordlessly signed the paper, wondering why Teddy was doing this strange project. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Draco! And thank you, Mr Yamamoto." Teddy quickly left.

Chikao eyed him. "I think he likes you."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Draco snapped.

"He does. He's jealous of me."

"He's not! Don't be coming up with any of that psycho-analysis jibberish you love."

"Draco?" Chikao eyed the dragon and the panther, turning his head back and forth to look at both. "You told me one time when you were drunk about your cousin declaring a marriage proposal to you after you told a story about a dragon and a panther. What would you do if he still believed in it?"

Trying not to turn red and trying not to get angry, he answered, "It's just a childish whim he came up with at the age of seven! He's an adult now. He can't still believe in that."

"But what if he does? And you can't deny that he's good looking."

"He's family! He's someone I baby-sat for, for Merlin's sake!"

Chikao let out a soft laugh. "When we were dating other people in Japan, you've had plenty of admirers you didn't find desirable. I've never seen you get so emotional about this. With Teddy, you're quite defensive."

"Chikao? Damare." Draco glowered at his friend, hoping Chikao would shut up like he'd said in Japanese.

"Just give him a chance. Maybe he's the one you've been looking for all these years. You've never allowed anyone to get close to you, but with Teddy . . . I sense something different about you."

"Chikao," Draco said warningly.

"Okay, okay. I'll stop talking about this. Just for that, you owe me an expensive dinner."

"Prat."

Chikao rolled his eyes. "Baka."

"I'm not a fool."

"You can be. Now, about that dinner . . . "

"You've got to be joking," Draco said in a flat voice, his arms crossed over his chest.

Teddy shook his head. "It was the only way I could think of to get you to go on at least one dinner with me."

"But, but–" Draco spluttered unattractively. "I can't believe you did this! You got everyone's signatures, you deliberately left a space in the middle for mine, you erased everyone else's signatures, and then you write a contract out above it? A contract for us to go on a date? Just us two?"

Teddy's eyes twinkled and a smug look came onto his handsome face. Draco had never wanted to punch someone's face for manipulating him like that. Teddy waved the parchment around and said, "Well, you've left me with no choice. You keep only having dinner with Grandmamma and me. You're just as sneaky, claiming you're always busy and whatnot . . . so I had to come up with an idea to get you to do dinner! And why are you thinking of this as a date? It's not a date. It's just dinner. That's what the contract said. You're the one who came to the conclusion that it's a date."

"Oh, for the love of . . . " Draco glared. "Fine! We'll do that dinner you so want once! Just once!"

"Great! Tomorrow night at seven, then? Meet me at Trafalgar Square." Draco's frown turned into a petulant pout. "And you're pouting." Teddy sniggered. "It suits you."

"I'm not pouting." And right after Draco said that, he realised that somehow their roles had reversed. Teddy was acting like the adult now, and Draco was the one acting like a child. That only made him more exasperated, and he announced, "I've got work. Go back to whatever you need to do."

"Will do."

As Teddy walked — no skipped — out of his office, Draco glared at the panther that looked as if it were mocking him, too. "Oh, piss off!" he yelled at his wall, not caring that he was shouting at a bloody mural.

Draco was surprised. The so-called "dinner" was actually turning out to be fun. Talking to Teddy over wine and food was comfortable, and Teddy was a good conversationalist. There were plenty for them to talk about — about Teddy's years at Hogwarts, about Draco's travels, about the business . . . it was as if he were talking to Chikao, but it felt right.

Then there was a matter with Teddy's clothes. With black trousers that were cut to emphasise his legs and his delectable, well-shaped arse and along with the button up shirt that wasn't buttoned all the way up to reveal a nicely sculpted chest, Draco couldn't help but stare indiscreetly as he could. Of course, combined with the clothes that showed off a very nice body, Teddy's happiness and his smiles also drew Draco out of his sullenness to enjoy this as much as he could.

And three hours later, they'd ended up at Teddy's flat, and Draco felt like he'd gone to a very strange place. The first thing he noticed when he walked in was the mantel of Teddy's fireplace. It was a normal looking mantel and fireplace, but on the mantel was a stuffed dragon and a stuffed panther. That wasn't the only thing he saw of Calais and Nye. There was a custom-made poster of a dragon and a panther entwined together, a very huge poster of them that was. What made it worse was that the poster was animated. That meant the dragon and the panther were moving — moving andgyrating against each other in a way that made Draco feel strangely aroused. Even worse, there was another poster of what he assumed were the human version of Calais and Nye, and the men in the poster — also animated — had their arms around their half-naked bodies. At first they looked at Draco happily, but then they had started a huge snog fest. With tongues and everything, their hands sweeping all over their bodies, Draco's arousal grew. Thankfully, his own trousers were baggy enough to hide his discomfort, but he still felt embarrassed.

Maybe it was the wine or maybe it was his own stupidity, but the next thing he blurted was, "Why are you obsessed with a story like that?"

"Eh?" Teddy gave Draco a wide-eyed stare. "I'm not that obsessed."

Draco made a wild gesture at the posters and the stuffed animals. "You have all these! And you decorated my office with them! I'd say that's obsessed!"

Teddy grinned sheepishly. "Maybe, but the posters and the stuffed animals are all gifts from friends."

Draco was not hearing this. "You . . . you told your friends about this story?"

"Yes, but don't worry! I didn't tell them where I heard the story. It was just that we were talking about our favourite stories growing up, and I told them this one, and they all liked it, too, and so some of them gave me these over the years as birthday presents."

" . . . I see." Draco glanced at the human poster again. Calais at that point had his hands down Nye's pants, and Draco didn't need much imagination to know what Calais was doing currently. Draco looked away, his own cheeks warming up, and he could feel himself getting more and more aroused. "I, er, I see."

Teddy's hand landed on Draco's shoulder, and that sent a huge jolt of pleasure down his spine. "You all right? We could move to another room. I have a study behind that door. It has nothing of Calais and Nye."

Trying not to sound strangled, Draco shook his head and said, "It's fine." He stepped away from Teddy and sat in an armchair. Unfortunately, that gave him a great view of the two randy men. Draco eyed the couch, but he quickly figured sitting on a couch next to Teddy would allow them a chance to be in an incrimination position. Stiffly, he looked down at the coffee table.

"I've got some brandy. Want some?"

"Sure," Draco said, glad that his voice sounded normal again. He looked up to see Teddy watching him intently. Teddy's eyes, which were hooded and half-closed, made his insides churn with lust. "Teddy?" Draco breathed out. "The brandy."

"Right, right. Be right back!"

Teddy's absence gave him some room to breathe, and Draco calmed himself down. He couldn't believe it. First Teddy had sort of "betrayed" him with that so-called contract, and now his own libido was starting up a coup to make him feel confused and horny towards Teddy. And then of course Chikao's words from before came back to him. All of this was really not helping Draco at all!

When Teddy came back with the brandy, Draco gladly accepted it, seeing it as a welcomed distraction. "Not bad," he said, pleased by Teddy's choice of brandy.

"I like it," Teddy affirmed. He set his own glass on the table and he sat on the couch. "Can we do this again?"

"What?"

"Dinner? I'm asking you for permission. I don't want to resort to another contractual method."

Draco hesitated. He knew he should say no. He knew he should end this. But he didn't want to. He didn't want to say no. He enjoyed this, minus the near-pornographic posters, and he did like Teddy and even felt sexual attractions no matter how much he tried to tell himself to not feel that way. "Well, I suppose. Dinner here and there won't hurt."

"Great!" Teddy looked so excited. Draco nearly expected Teddy to throw himself on top of him for a crushing hug, but to Draco's disappointment Teddy didn't.

And for the rest of the night, Teddy acted normal. They drank, talked, and joked, and when Draco left the flat, he almost wanted Teddy to stop him.

The next couple of weeks after their "dinner", Draco's attractions towards Teddy grew. Draco could not remember the number of times he had to wank himself off in private; he even had to double-check that he hadn't been turned into a teenager since the amount of wanking he did was just ridiculous! And he blamed it all on Teddy! Every day Draco saw Teddy, and every day Teddy grew hotter and hotter.

One day, Teddy had got into an accident, and his entire shirt had got wet. Draco had the unfortunate timing of running into him, and after seeing Teddy's torso through the wet shirt, Draco couldn't get rid of that image for the rest of the day.

Another day, the staff all decided to get ice cream, and Teddy had to get a vanilla cone of all things. Draco nearly combusted from the way Teddy had licked the ice cream, the way some of it had gotten on the side of his lips . . . Draco nearly went up to Teddy to lick it off himself!

Then whenever they were at dinner or whenever they were alone, Teddy was always close to him, but he never touched Draco. All Draco could do was to feel the warmth from Teddy's body and smell that familiar scent that screamed of Teddy.

How could he not wank when Teddy tempted him this much?

At this rate, Draco was going to go mad. Either that or his right hand would become permanently attached to his cock.

Draco wasn't sure which was worse.

Or better.

Hell, even Luna noticed and said something. They were in Draco's office as usual, and Luna said, "I guess you've run into some Nargles."

"Say what?"

"You look frustrated. And if you've run into Nargles, that means you're sexually frustrated."

"Luna!"

"What?" She gave a confused look. "Did I say something untrue?"

He turned red, despite trying to stay composed. "I'm not what you say I am."

"Oh, Draco. Your lying skills are terrible." He bristled at that comment, but she went on. "And it's okay! Why don't you take a day off tomorrow? Teddy's off, too. He said he had to go look for some new magical creatures! Something about a pink ostrich, except it's really small. I hope he finds it! I want to see it, too! I can get my dad to write about it in The Quibbler."

Draco just laughed and shook his head. "You're something else."

"Thank you! Now, if you show up for work tomorrow, I'll take that as a sign that you're willing to talk about the mating rituals of Nargles."

That was Luna-ese for a ten-hour — yes, she'd upgraded again! — lecture. "Uh, you do realise I'm the owner, here?"

"Yes, but you need a day off. So if you come, we'll just talk for the whole day!"

Only thing Draco could respond to that was with a groan.

"I can't believe I'm here," Draco muttered to himself, standing in front of Teddy's flat. It was early morning, and he came here, hoping to catch Teddy before he did what Luna said he might do. Some pink ostrich hunting? He doubted the validity of Luna's statement, but he figured he should try to catch Teddy before he went anywhere.

Taking a deep breath, Draco knocked on the door, and he waited.

The door opened quickly, and he saw Teddy's surprised face. "Draco? Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"Someone told me that you were going to go on a hunt for some pink ostrich. That someone also told me to . . . "

"Yes?" Teddy looked at Draco bewilderedly.

Maybe it was the sexual frustration. Maybe it was the fact that he was losing his mind. Whatever it was, he blurted out, "You're driving me bonkers!"

Teddy blinked and stepped aside. "Let's talk inside, okay?"

Draco could only nod, and he went inside, went back to that dreaded sitting room with the dreaded posters, and yes the posters were being naughty again. Draco's own arousal stirred to life, and he felt himself turning hard almost instantly at the snogging couple and the gyrating animals on the wall.

Still staring at the posters, he felt Teddy's hand on his shoulder. Its grip turned tight and he heard Teddy's husky voice asking, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Draco lied. "I'm fine."

"You're not. Don't lie. I can smell it."

Draco spun around, and he looked at the smirk on Teddy's face. "What?"

Teddy's hand traced one of Draco's thighs, and it took all of Draco's control to not moan at that touch. "You're aroused. I can smell things like that aside from those potions."

"What?" Draco grew dizzy after shouting that. "Wait, that means all those other times . . . "

"Yes, I could smell your desire then."

"And you didn't do anything?"

"Of course not!" Teddy looked very affronted. "That wouldn't be right! I might be manipulative, but I am not going to do anything non-consensual! I was waiting for you to make the first move!"

"And you were deliberately teasing me?"

"You can come to your own conclusions about that," Teddy said calmly. "But . . . Draco, I really do like you."

Draco was just about to go on a tirade on Teddy's teasing, but he stopped when he heard the soft declaration. "You . . . you still believe in that marriage proposal?"

"Well, now that I'm old enough to realise that we're not granted marriage licences like the heterosexual couples, no. I don't believe in the proposal, but I do believe that I do like you. No. Love. For me, it's always been love."

The frankness of Teddy's delivery unsettled Draco. He couldn't believe Teddy liked — no loved — him all these years. It was impossible, really! How could Teddy choose him of all people? "Teddy, you know that . . . that story was just a story! It was never meant to be an allusion to us or anything."

"It was, though."

"How?" Draco snapped. "Just because a dragon that turned into a blond wizard and a panther that turned into a Metamorphmagus is similar to us, doesn't mean it's us!" Draco started to pace, and Teddy's strong arms reached out to stop him, and somehow, Draco wasn't sure how, he'd ended up against the wall, and Teddy was in front of him. He could feel Teddy's legs against his, could feel Teddy's warm breath mingling with his own, and Draco reached out to put his own hands on Teddy's shoulders. "How?" he repeated in a low voice.

"Well, you know when you told me you had to leave the country for your mastery programme? I saw that as a symbolism for what Calais and Nye had to go through."

That explanation was not expected. "What?"

"That was why, back then, I didn't argue or beg for you to stay. I didn't want you to go, but I figured we had to overcome our own trials and tribulations to achieve what I saw as our goal. Only, I kind of wished we'd just done the mugwort and garlic thing instead. At least it would have only lasted one-hundred days instead of seven years."

Feeling his mouth go dry at the comparison, Draco opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. By now Teddy's lips were close to his. He nearly felt Teddy's lips, and he longed for that gap to be closed.

"Draco? I do love you. I always will. But if you don't feel the same way, I will not force you to do anything." Teddy let go of his hold, and he stepped back, giving a small smile. "But I am telling you what I've always wanted to tell you as an adult. I've told you what I wanted as a child, but I was too young then to know better. But now, I know for sure. I know we're supposed to be family, but . . . I don't care about that."

"I . . . " Draco's voice was caught. What did he want? He knew he physically wanted Teddy. His body was honest about that much, but emotionally and mentally, what did he want? Almost two decades had passed since ending of the war that had nearly fucked up his life. Finally, his life was slowly getting settled. He had his mastery and a good business. He had many liaisons with his previous lovers, but none of them meant anything to him. None of them made him feel content like the way he felt around Teddy. Chikao came the closest, but even with Chikao, he couldn't commit to anything long-term.

But with Teddy . . . even though they were related, his feelings had somehow changed in the last few months.

"Draco?" Teddy gave another small smile — this time it was tinged with sadness. "I'll respect your decision."

Teddy took another step back, and he was about to turn around, but Draco stopped him. Draco reached out to wrap his arms around Teddy's neck, and he leaned in closer to kiss the lips he'd been wanting.

The kiss was powerful. One little kiss turned into a snog, and next thing Draco knew, his back was against that wall, and Teddy's delicious body pressed hard against him. Hands flew everywhere, touching everything it could reach. Teddy's warm hands touched Draco's bare torso, making him shiver with want. He slipped his hands through Teddy's hair, which were now red, and Draco tilted his neck when he felt Teddy's lips there.

It was intense, so passionate, and Draco didn't want it to end. He bumped his hips into Teddy's, and he could feel Teddy's hardness, and when his cock bumped up against Teddy's, Draco felt like time was slowing down.

"Teddy, oh, Teddy," Draco panted. He reopened his eyes to look at Teddy, but instead, over Teddy's shoulder, he saw the mantel with the stuffed animals. Below it, he saw a face. "Luna?"

That broke the spell, and Teddy stumbled backwards, making Draco regret the loss.

"Oh, I see you guys decided to not go hunt the pink ostriches. A shame, really."

"For Merlin's sake, Luna, what's the matter?" Draco tried to straighten his clothes, and he willed his blush to go away.

"Oh, I need the two of you to come in today! I need both of your help. I'll see you in a bit!" Luna's head disappeared.

Draco turned to look at Teddy, who was quite flushed. "I, er, sorry? She . . . she has the tendency to interrupt a lot."

"Duly noted," Teddy said, but he grinned. "Well. Next time, let's make sure she's occupied with something."

Draco sniffed, pretending to be annoyed. "What makes you think there will be a next time?"

"Oh, I'll find a way. I'll make you take me to Tokyo."

"Huh?"

"And I want to visit one of those love hotels that are famous there."

Draco scowled. "And what if I don't do that."

"Then I'll blackmail you! I've got loads of embarrassing stories about you. Like that time you tried to beat me in a chocolate eating contest and vomited afterwards? I was only eight then, and how embarrassing would it be if words got around that you got beaten like that?"

Draco slapped Teddy's shoulder and groaned. "Since when did a person like you, a person who had a Gryffindor father and a Hufflepuff mother, become such a little, sneaky prat?"

Teddy grinned evilly. "I had several great role models growing up!"

" . . . Don't lump me with Potter."

"Well," Teddy said contemplatively. "He did almost get sorted into Slytherin."

"Don't remind me." Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll take you to Tokyo one day, but we're not going into one of those establishments!"

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Okay. Thanks, Nye."

"And don't call me that! Let's go!" Draco stalked off with a glare, but inside, he felt happier than ever. Teddy, manipulative or not, was here to stay in his life.

Ending Notes

- The myth of Calais and Nye was pretty much borrowed from the myth of "The Bear and the Tiger", a Korean mythology. Like Calais and Nye, they wanted to become human, so they had to do the whole mugwort and garlic trial for one-hundred days. The bear persisted, but the tiger gave up. So with that myth and with some European mythological creatures . . . I've created one suited for this fic!
- Nye is a Welsh name, and it means "golden".
- Calais is a Greece name, and it means "changing colours".
- Gwydion is a Welsh name, too, and it means "God of Magic".

Words: 11,106

Completed August 14, 2010